Suspended Vice-Admiral Mark Norman to appear in court on breach of trust charge

OTTAWA — One of the military’s most senior officers is slated to face accusations in court today that he broke the law by leaking sensitive information to a Quebec shipyard.

Vice-Admiral Mark Norman was charged last month with breach of trust following a two-year criminal investigation into the alleged disclosure of classified government information.

Norman, who has denied any wrongdoing, faces up to five years in prison.

He served as the military’s second-in-command until being mysteriously suspended early last year.

The case revolves around a November 2015 decision by the newly elected Liberal government to reconsider a $700-million contract the Harper Conservatives had awarded to Quebec-based Davie Shipbuilding.

Davie was hired to convert a civilian vessel, the MV Asterix, into a temporary resupply ship that would be leased for five years, with another five-year option, until a permanent replacement was ready.

While the plan to revisit the contract was supposed to remain secret, court documents show the RCMP suspected Norman of being upset with the decision over concerns the government would cancel the project.

Norman was commander of the navy at the time and, according to the documents, allegedly worked with Davie to try to pressure the government to keep the project afloat.

None of the allegations against Norman has been tested in court.

The Liberals ultimately decided to proceed with the refurbishment, and the MV Asterix was delivered recently to the navy.

The first hint of an investigation came in January 2017 when Norman was suspended as vice-chief of defence staff. However, it was unclear why Norman had been relieved of his duties until months later when several media organizations successfully fought to see court records laying out the RCMP’s case.

Norman’s lawyer, Marie Henein, released a strongly worded statement last month denouncing the decision to charge her client and promising to fight the allegation in court.

“Vice-Admiral Norman has devoted his entire career to serving Canada and our military,” Henein wrote.

“This is a very sad day for an extraordinary Canadian who we should be celebrating rather than prosecuting. Our public resources should be put to better use.”